Box plait for shirt fronts



py'fi 8, 19-41. M. GRUNBAUM 23373818 BOX PLAIT FOR SHIRT FRON'I'S Filed Oct. 11', 1939 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED'FSTATES PATENT OFFICE BOX PLAIT FOR SHIRT FRONTS Milton Grunbaum, San Francisco, Calif., assignmto Levi Strauss and Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 11, 1939, Serial No. 298,934

*2 Claims. (01. 2-128) This invention relates to mens shirts of the type which open in the front, and especially to the construction of the box plait formed on the shirt front.

The box plait on a shirt is the wide strip of material which extends from the collar to the lower end of the shirt. The plait is formed on one side of the shirt front and contains the buttonholes, while the other side of theshirt contains the buttons. In common practice, the plait is formed from two or more layers of the shirt material and is reinforced by an inner lining or stifiening material. The several layers of material, including the inner lining, are secured together by seams passing through the several layers of material and extend along each side of the plait from the collar to the lower end. These seams rather detract from the finish and appearance of the plait.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction of box plaits of the character described, and particularly to provide a box plait in which only one seam will be required, and which will be placed on the under side of the plait where it can not be seen, thereby leaving a smooth seamless finish on the front face of the plait which materially improves its appearance.

The construction of the box plait is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a man's shirt showing the box plait;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of a mans shirt showing the ordinary type of box lait;

p Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view of the first step in the formation of the box plait;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a metallic strip used for inserting the inner liner in the plait;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view showing the second step in the formation of the box plait; and.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a portion of the finished box plait.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and particularly to Fig. 1, A indicates in general a mans shirt, the front of which is divided into two sections indicated at l and 8 to permit the shirt to be opened from the collar to the lower end, so that it may be readily applied and which, when applied, is closed or secured by buttons 9. The side 8 of the shirt has the buttons sewed thereto, while the side 'i is provided with a box plait 6 in which the buttonholes are formed.

The box plait on a shirt is usually formed by folding a portion of the shirt material one or more times about itself and inserting an inner lining, then stitching the folded material to form two or more longitudinally extending seams such as indicated at 2 and 3 of Fig. 2, and finally cutting the buttonholes and stitching them.

The longitudinally extending seams 2 and 3 detract materially from the general finish and appearance of a shirt, particularly when quality and finish is important as in high-grade shirts. It is the purpose of this invention to form a box plait in which no seams are visible. This is accomplished as follows: The material 1 of the shirt is first folded upon itself as shown in Fig. 3 and a seam is run along the edge ID from end to end of the material. A long strip of thin sheet metal, such as shown in Fig. 4, is then inserted in the space ll. formed by the folding and sewing of the material. The strip, together with the material, is then shifted sideways to bring the seam l0 underneath the plait, as shown in Fig. 5. The material is then pressed with a hot iron to retain it in the shifted position. A strip of inner lining material l2 isthen introduced by looping one end of the inner lining through a slot [4 formed in the end of the metal strip. Then by grasping the opposite end of the strip and pulling it out of the box plait, the inner liner is introduced.

The buttonholes are next out completely through the material and the inner lining, and after they have been out they are stitched as indicated at l5. This stitching is important as, first of all, it reinforces and strengthens the buttonholes and, secondly, as the stitching extends through the inner lining as well as the shirt material forming the plait, it anchors the inner lining material and secures it against displacement when the shirt is later washed and ironed, etc.

This method of forming a box plait on shirts is applicable to shirts of high quality as well as ordinary every day shirts. No seams will show, as the only seam employed is on the under side of the plait. Hence the finish and general appearance of the plait and the shirt as a whole are materially improved.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A box plait for shirt fronts comprising material on one side of the shirt folded upon itself and stitched .to form a tube, said tube being flattened to position the line of stitching on the under side of the tube where it will be obscured, a strip of inner liner material inserted in said flattened tube, a plurality of buttonholes formed in the shirt material of the flattened tube and also in the inserted inner liner, and buttonhole stitching around each buttonhole to reinforce the buttonholes and to anchor the inner liner.

2. A method of forming a box plait for shirt fronts and like garments which consists in folding the shirt material upon itself, stitching the material to form a tube which is flattened to bring the line of stitching on the under side of the tube, inserting a strip of inner liner material in the flattened tube, cutting buttonholes in the material forming the flattened tube and the inner liner placed therein, and then stitching through the shirt material and the inner liner around each buttonhole to reinforce the ibuttonholes and to anchor the inner liner within the flattened tube.

MILTON GRUN'BAUM. 

